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The latest from The Robinson - that'll be Milan-based brothers Marco and Riccardo Augeri to you - opens with the jazz, live-sounding and improvised 'Life Decisions' with its cosmic synths reaching up to the stars over raw beats. 'Unconscious Habits' follows on, bringing deep, dubby drums, organic percussive lines and a deep jungle vibe while 'Running Algorith' is another humid deep house closer with warm, diffuse pads and a spiralling of deft percussion.

We end the year with the second in our series of The Coin EP featuring a different artist on each side. In case you missed Volume 1 - TLM033 it featured Cumulative Collective and Re:Fill in September 2023. This time on side A we have Italian brothers The Robinson who have previously released their track Song 1 on TLM034. They are back once again with two superb jazz infused house tracks, Passion Is The Key and A Satisfying Day. Both ideal for the dancefloor.

Moving onto the AA side and someone who has become a TLM regular, namely Japanese artist Takahiro Fuchigami who supplies us with three amazing tracks; Jazzing Bird, How’s That Sound? and In Motion. Fantastic broken beat from one of Japan’s rising stars. If you missed his two tracks that we previously released on TLM034 - Strange Acquaintance and TLM035 - Outer Heaven, you need to check them out.

New fresh release on Rye Records by The Robinson. The 3
tracks' on this record are each a perfect representation of the
different facets of the duo: Soulful, self-reflective and pulsating.
Together the decisive sounds accompany melodies that take
you on a journey far away...

Another release by The Robinson on RYE Records. Lose yourself through a journey of rhythm and sound found only on the most demanding dancefloors.

Rhiannon Giddens reunites with her former Carolina Chocolate Drops bandmate Justin Robinson on What Did the Blackbird Say to the Crow, an album of North Carolina fiddle and banjo music. Produced by Giddens and Joseph "joebass" DeJarnette, the album features Giddens on banjo and Robinson on fiddle, with the duo playing eighteen of their favourite North Carolina tunes: a mix of instrumentals and tunes with words.

Many were learned from their late mentor, the legendary North Carolina Piedmont musician Joe Thompson; one is from another musical hero, the late Etta Baker, from whom they also learned by listening to recordings of her playing. Giddens and Robinson recorded the album outdoors and on location at Thompson’s and Baker’s North Carolina homes, as well as the former plantation Mill Prong House. They were accompanied by the sounds of nature, including two different broods of cicadas, which had not emerged simultaneously since 1803, creating a true once-in-a-lifetime soundscape. The duo, along with four other string musicians including the multi-instrumentalist Dirk Powell, will embark on the Rhiannon Giddens & The Old-Time Revue North America tour in April.

“With the assaults on reality going on in the world today, we wanted to offer another kind of record, like walking back onto a gravel or dirt road while a stampede goes the other way,” Giddens says. “With the cicada choir, this record could’ve only happened at a certain time in the last 120 years. We doubled down on place, time, realness, and old-fashioned front porch music. It’s a reminder that another way exists, with music made for your community’s enjoyment and for dancing–not solely for commercial purposes.

“What is the role of music in our society?” she wonders. “How do we de-couple it from unfettered capitalism, where music is a product and musicians are incidental? How do we use the tools and system that we have been bequeathed in a way that reminds us of other ways of being?” Robinson adds, "Recording this album felt like being back in the saddle. Just this time Joe is not here, and his fiddle is under my chin. The album is about home, the cicadas, the storms, the music, and the people who make it feel like home."

Thompson was one of the last musicians of his era and his community to carry on the southern Black string band tradition. He played a crucial role in the lives of Giddens and Robinson, who, along with their Carolina Chocolate Drops bandmate Dom Flemons, spent their formative years learning from Thompson in traditional apprentice/mentor relationships. His influence has guided all of their artistic journeys as well as their mission to keep the legacy of the Black string band tradition alive.

In further tribute to Giddens’ North Carolina roots, What Did the Blackbird Say to the Crow will arrive just a week before Biscuits & Banjos, the inaugural edition of her first festival, which highlights the deep roots and enduring legacy of Black music, art, and culture while fostering community and storytelling. The sold-out festival will feature a much-anticipated Carolina Chocolate Drops reunion, their first performance together in more than a decade.

Welcome to our porch

Through our many years of playing together on many stages across the globe, we have been able to share our Carolina roots with lots of people. But our tradition really doesn’t live on the stage; it lives on a back porch of Mebane, in a living room in Morganton and in countless other places wherever a musician might find themselves. We wanted to revisit the sounds, places, and textures at the beginning of our musical journey together and to share that experience with y’all. The rain, the cicadas, and thunder become part of the band, grounding us and the music firmly in the long narrative of the place we call home

Catawba Records was born in the late seventies; a label founded by Richard Mack who ran promotions for CBS Records. Mack was responsible for breaking Gold & Platinum sellers including Earth Wind & Fire, The O’Jays, Wild Cherry, Emotions, Santana, Betty Wright and The Jackson’s. Catawba Records hosted some of the coolest up and coming names in dance music during the early to mid eighties, including Dutch Robinson, Jimmy Castor, Wilson Pickett, Jackie Moore and Brook Benton. Celebrating its 40 year anniversary, Catawba is back with a limited edition pressing featuring edits of the favourites, new and unreleased tracks and a gatefold packed with history.

BOBBY ROBINSON was more than a fixture in hisNew York community, he had been an essential part of its lifeblood for over 60 years. Had he just been the proprietor of the first record store (and reputedly the first black-owned business) on 125th Street, he would have been important enough, but he also had an ear for talent, recording landmark music across four decades, always at home with the music of his neighbourhood, be it doo-wop, R&B, soul or even rap.

He was an entrepreneur involved in over a dozen different labels, sometimes on his own, sometimes with a partner, often with his brother Danny, and he was behind records that became internationally famous by Gladys Knight, King Curtis, Elmore James, Lee Dorsey, Wilbert Harrison and Grandmaster Flash. He made many more that were simply good, and this compilation takes aim at the great work he did as a soul and R&B producer during the 1960s and early 70s. It’s an introduction that shows the quality that he created had depth beyond the headline names.

For a few years Leo Robinson was the sort of hidden secret you sometimes come across in local music scenes. First in Manchester and now in Glasgow, he’d pop up regularly on DIY bills or as local support to a touring act, quietly blowing them off stage with his rich baritone vocal and homespun lo-fi tales of folklore and animism. With The Temple – his debut on PRAH Recordings – he looks set to cross over from being a cult concern.

“There's a spectrum within the album between fully mythologising or symbolising my lived experience, and just stating it in very matter of fact terms - that push and pull between the need to abstract and the need to break through the abstraction and have an honest moment with oneself” he explains. “This is one of the themes of the album as well as part of the process. The aim was to take all these anecdotal or symbolic elements and merge them into one narrative and one world, in a way that you can find your way through the record as if it were a landscape or language with its own logic.”

The record takes on a pastoral, slightly baroque nature that Robinson partly attributes to a friend screening a lot of ‘70s BBC material in his book shop that they used to hang out at. There are also elements of jazz, flickering to life in “The Spring”’s piano-led finale and coda.

Thematically, Robinson likens it to a Jungian ‘Hero's Journey’, his voice possessing a character who goes through several defined stages of consciousness. From conception and the beginning of an earthly life, the first half of the album recognises the development of the protagonist’s narrative and identity, before “The Pink Light”’s freeform departure from the hitherto more song-based suite devastatingly shatters this. The second half of the album then sees the protagonist witness “the uncontainable” water; learning that true divinity lies not in the individual self or lofty notions of gods and temples, but in the unremarkable nettles, insects and dogs on the roadside riverbank - referenced on tracks “The Cormorant” and “The Spring”.

Although now residing north of the border, The Temple was written while Robinson was finding his feet in Manchester, having moved there to go to art school as a teenager (as a visual artist, he has exhibited at the Tiwani Contemporary in London and Cardiff’s Chapter Arts Centre). As a result, many of the tracks bear out the shadows of his experiences in the northern city – at their most visible and explicit on the beautifully fragile storytelling of “The Pavement”. Written the day after the Manchester Arena Bombings, it recalls Robinson waking up to go to work on a hot summer’s day to discover that his street had been blocked off for terrorism investigations; it then progresses through the rest of his day, amidst the grimly surreal aftermath of the previous night.

Having written the chords, melodies and lyrics to the album, Robinson fleshed out the tunes by scoring out parts for the additional instrumentation, but it was only when a friend sent a demo to PRAH that he was able to fund its full recording. Guitars, vocals, piano and French Horn (the latter recorded by Lauren Reeve-Rawlings) were put down at Green Door Studios in Glasgow. Microphones were placed around the room and the sound of the musicians stepping on creaky floorboards and opening creaky doors were left audible to further the record’s live feel. The harpsichord heard on “The Serpent”, meanwhile, came from University of Glasgow lecturer David McGuinness. Strings were then recorded at PRAH Studios by Francesca Ter-Berg and Raven Bush, the Social Singing Choir adding their choral vocals to “Temple II”.

The result is an album that feels both luscious and yet intimately raw; as grand as Richard Dawson at his most panoramic but containing the rough edges and skeletal looseness of a Calvin Johnson work. At times Robinson lyrically moves towards the surreal, but ultimately this is a record grounded in reality; a true showcase of Robinson’s skill as a lyricist and songwriter.

Another classic release on Makin' Madd Records in the rebound! This time it's The Shadow aka Lou Robinson of SCAN7) "The Lurking Shadow EP" which came out 1995 will be soon available again on solid black vinyl. Re-mastered edition - don't sleep! Special thanks to Mr. Terrence Parker!

“Going to A Go-Go”, and “My Girl Has Gone”. This was the only Miracles studio LP to climb into the Top 10 of the Billboard 200 albums chart, where it remained for 40 weeks, peaking
at #8. It also peaked at #1 on Billboard’s R&B albums chart and achieved Gold Record status in 2003.

It was ranked #271 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 greatest
albums of all time, #273 in the 2012 revised list, and #412 in the 2020 revised list.

While so many follow the status quo, Mat Zo has always danced to the beat of his own drum. From his days topping both the drum & bass and trance charts simultaneously (releasing on Hospital Records as MRSA), to his current status as a big room innovator, collaborating with Public Enemy's Chuck D and dropping genre-blurring 70-track contributions to BBC Radio 1's Essential Mix, the precocious talent is destined to play by his own rules.

Supported by DJs as diverse as Skrillex, Madeon, Pete Tong, Above & Beyond, Steve Aoki and A-Trak, the LA-living producer's much anticipated debut LP 'Damage Control' is a bold, brilliantly diverse statement of intent from one of the scene's most unique talents. In a world of EDM sound a likes, this is electronic dance music with integrity and ambition. The release of the album will coincide with an extensive upcoming world headline tour, which sees Zo playing renowned dance music hubs such as Ministry of Sound in London, Light in Las Vegas, Create/Avalon in Los Angeles, Miami's LIV nightclub, Toronto's Guvernment and New York City's famed Pacha. (See full list of dates below).

The product of nearly three years dedicated work, 'Damage Control' represents a star of the future coming of age. Including his Beatport No.1 smash 'Easy' (feat. Porter Robinson) and recent hook-up with hip-hop legend Chuck D (Public Enemy) on 'Pyramid Scheme', Zo's 14-track LP also features the sun-soaked melodies of his innovative future single 'Lucid Dreams' - another track that perfectly embodies his uniquely quirky take on big room sounds.

What really sets the album apart from the pack are its diversions away from the dancefloor. 'Damage Control' takes in everything from electro-charged French house ('Only For You' feat. Rachel K. Collier), classy trance vibes ('The Sky' feat. Linnea Schossow) and big room progressive, through to wonky, trap-styled beats ('Caller ID' and 'Little Damage'), UK garage updates ('EZ') and hip-hop ('Moderate Stimulation').

Retaining a cohesive thread throughout thanks to Zo's unmistakable sense of fun and infectious grasp of melody, 'Damage Control' is tipped as one of the most forward-thinking debut artist albums of 2013.

Following two stunning singles, prodigiously talented producer and composer Frederic Robinson is set to drop his debut album,
'Mixed Signals', on Blu Mar Ten Music on 14th October. The album is the culmination of over a year's work and a lifetime of musical
obsession for Robinson, comprising of a series of intricately crafted and delicately emotive tracks exploring a forward-thinking
electronic vision, which he describes as "music for the listener with a broad horizon and a short attention span'.
Over its eleven tracks, 'Mixed Signals' gives Robinson the canvas to showcase the full breadth of his talents like never before.
Amalgamating the many influences that inform his productions, from drum & bass and electronica to contemporary classical
composers, 'Mixed Signals' is a brilliantly crafted and coherent artistic statement that draws upon his talents as a classically trained
multi-instrumentalist as well as an electronic producer. Filled with light and shade, impact and intricacy, 'Mixed Signals' is much more
than a drum & bass record or a collection of club tracks; this is an album in the truest sense of the word.
"So far, this album is my biggest musical project and my greatest achievement. I worked on it for about a year and went through many
different creative phases in that time, all of which are represented somewhere on the LP. It is a summary of my current talents, skills
and interests. It marks the end for some ideas and concepts and the beginning for many others." - Frederic Robinson.
Built from a collage of acoustic and electronic elements, Robinson's music is a dense patchwork of skittering rhythms, found sound
and lush instrumentation, which harnesses a compelling emotional draw as much as it does an undeniable dance floor energy. Both
immediate and nuanced, 'Mixed Signals' is a brilliant balance of contrasts.
The sweeping drama of previous single 'Theme Park' opens the album, remaining as fresh and brilliantly unique as ever, while 'Off
Topic' and 'Bloom' featuring Stray both also provide familiar touchstones, exploring esoteric manifestations of 170 bpm's outer
possibilities. Three vocal tracks are scattered throughout the tracklist, with the soft, otherworldly tones of Melanie Robinson providing
an entry point to Robinson's world of broken percussion and wandering melodies.
Elsewhere, 'Vamp Till Ready' balances rich string orchestration against a wave of skittering percussion and 'Shut' offers an expansive
beauty in its naïve, dreamlike melodies. 'Particles' showcases an innate understanding of drum & bass constructs, warping tight
breaks and deep bass against bold blasts of colour while the eponymous track explores a playfully off-kilter and delicately nuanced
downtempo vision, before the album is played out on wave of hazy melodies and light-footed rhythms with closer 'Static Float'.
'Mixed Signals' provides the broad canvas that Robinson thrives in painting with his sprawling musical influences and complex
arrangements, and the results are phenomenal. The album is a masterpiece in dance floor escapism from a talent whose career is
undoubtedly in the ascendant.

While Soul Togetherness' on Expansion continues to feature the best new floor fillers of each year, Soul Festival' is here now with a collection of music reflecting the label's love of 70s soul.
    
Soul Festival' spans the period from when new soul music took influence from the Northern soul we enjoy here at UK clubs and events. As the decade progressed, records became more lavish in their arrangement and grander in production, always with that essential soul feel, and that's what you will find here on this compilation.

After the success of the 2 Late 4 Love EP, Roy Of The Ravers returns to Emotional Response with a double LP with a deeper perspective, experimenting in ambient and drone textures, lucid techno travails and acid interludes.

Recorded between 1997 and 2017, the album was pieced together over the last six months after Roy's archives were first feared lost and then found. Approached by the label to release a follow up with something more introspective and personal, it was discovered that a recent move to a new studio had led to over 20 years of music being misplaced after it was believed they were mistakenly dropped at a local charity store. However, deep in a box of what were thought to be patch cables were in fact the decades worth of hard drives and here presented, is a sample of those lost recordings.

The nature of the music is introspection, eschewing the acid beats and white noise for a personal encounter between man and machine. The orchestral opening of the title track gives way to the submarine beats, pulsing TB303 and gliding hats of Robinson College 10 to set the outlook to come. Even with the scattering A Dim And Distant Past waking lulled senses, the melodies and feel all lead to a pause and reflect rather than jump and shout.

This is continued with the haunting drives of Bounce Erec and Oriental X0X-Press; the twisted, warped jams of The Weber Traum Boat Pt.3, Ichi and Roland Corp Labs 05; and the beautiful, heartfelt odes in Sade Lost Theme, The Clock House Pt.2 and closer, Nemesis '01. The album's melodic nature hums and shines as CS (6x8) appears as much a centre piece as a alternative consideration to the acid tinged, club bangs of Roy's releases to date.
A surprise package maybe, but in the rolling, word of mouth phenomena that was Emotinium II, all this and more was sensed and so White Sunrise Music II, spreading across 12 songs of contrasting moods, is a further affirmation that there is something good and worthy of exploration.

Tucky Buzzard
The Complete Tucky Buzzard 5 Lp Slipcase Box Set
- Having Come To The End Of The Psychedelic Path, The End Decided On A Change Of Musical Direction And A Change Of Name,
Arising From The Ashes As Tucky Buzzard In 1970 And Retaining The Line-up Of Guitarist Terry Taylor, Organist Nicky Graham,
Drummer Paul Francis, Bassist Dave Brown, And Vocalist Jimmy Henderson.
- The First Album, Recorded With Madrid Philharmonic Orchestra Directed By Waldo De Los Rios, Contained Some Last Vestiges
Of The Band's Previous Existence. But The Second Album, Produced By Old Associate Bill Wyman With Glyn Johns At Olympic
Studios Set Out The Band's Template Of Bluesy Rock, A Leading Genre At The Dawn Of The 70s. Mick Taylor Makes A Guest
Appearance.
- For The Fourth And Fifth Albums, The Band Was Signed To Deep Purple's Own Purple Records. Bill Wyman Continued In The
Producer's Chair, But The Departing Nicky Graham Was Replaced With A Second Guitarist.
- Strictly Limited To 750 Copies, And Housed In A Numbered Rigid Slipcase Featuring Photos From The Collection Of Terry Taylor
(bill Wyman's Right Hand Man In The Rhythm Kings For The Last 25+ Years), All The Original Sleeves (including Two Gatefolds)
Are Faithfully Reproduced. The Inner Sleeves Feature Extensive Annotation By Alan Robinson Based On Interviews With The Band.

Both D-Malice and Kid Fonque are well-established players in their native cities, both boasting long-term involvement and impressive credentials. After meeting in 2013 and nurturing a very natural and obvious predilection for golden era hip-hop, 90s R'n B, soul and trip hop they decided to pool their creative resources and rope in a wealth of talent from their combined networks under a new moniker. Enter rkls.

On this debut offering the pair have worked with LA's broken beat visionary Marc De Clive-Lowe, legendary emcees John Robinson and Kev Brown, dazzling new vocal and production talent from South Africa - Sio, Melo B Jones, Daev Martian and White Nite to name but a few.

This diverse list of guests flex their dexterity allowing the album to shift easily between ballads and more up-tempo beats effortlessly. Punctuated with spacey interludes, the resulting twelve tracks glisten with sumptuous textures, swelling harmonies and organic instrumentation. Familiar but fresh, rkls feels like you're meeting an old friend with enthralling new stories to tell.

This unique set brings together a treasure trove of R&B rarities enshrined by the $3,000 Lookin' For My Baby', recorded by The Nightriders in 1959 for Juggy Murray's Sue imprint.
Murray had co-founded Sue Records two years earlier with fellow New Yorker Bobby Robinson whose Fire label provides us with the equally compelling Keep A'Calling' by Paul Perryman (side 1, track 1), a snip at only $300!
The set bursts into life with Vernon Harrell's hot dance ticket Slick Chick', currently commanding a cool $400 on its original Lescay label. Northern Soul fans will be interested to know that Harrell co-wrote Seven Days Too Long' with J R Bailey (aka Chuck Wood) and Sweet Sweet Lovin'' for The Platters. 
Mike Robinson ( Lula') also has a tenuous Northern Soul connection, he was originally in Bobby Thomas' Vibranaires before joining the Orioles alongside the legendary Sonny Til. 
BOTH Earl King's make the playlist: Earl Connelly' with his hard Every Whicha Kinda Way' and the New Orleans native Earl King with Darling Honey Angel Child', an early prototype of the standard Come On'.
Look out too for rare soul sweetheart Baby Washington, Medicine Man'.
A Collection to Treasure...

VERY strong track listing with some of the biggest Motown hits ever - should do very nicely going into Christmas gifting area and beyond as a strong catalogue seller.


[B] A2 | Dancing In The Street - Martha Reeves & The Vandellas

This is the new digitally remastered 2015 expanded edition of Soul Jazz Records' biggest ever selling release, 100% Dynamite! Ska, Soul, Rocksteady and Funk in Jamaica.
Since the album's original release nearly twenty years ago, 100% Dynamite has become a cornerstone of reggae: eighteen killer tracks that show the influence that American Jazz, Funk and Soul music had on Jamaican Reggae.
The proximity of the West Indies to the USA meant that many Jamaican musicians were influenced by American styles of music whilst at the same time defining new styles of their own such as Ska, Rocksteady and Dub.
100% Dynamite features some serious Jamaican funk by Jackie Mittoo, The Upsetters and Toots & The Maytals, the cream of Jamaica's jazz musicians such as Tommy McCook, Cedric Brooks and Lennie Hibbert. Also included here are heavyweight Reggae versions to Soul classics by Marlena Shaw's 'Woman of the Ghetto', Aretha Franklin's 'Rocksteady', Syl Johnson's 'Is It Because I'm Black', William DeVaughan's seminal 'Be Thankful' and more.
100% Dynamite also features revolutionary tunes such as Johnny Osbourne's 'We Need Love', Sound Dimension's 'Drum Song' and Lloyd Robinson's 'Cuss Cuss', songs that helped define a unique sound for Jamaican music in the sixties and seventies. These influences went both ways - check Brentford All Stars massive 'Greedy G', the basis for Boogie Down Productions' 'Jack of Spades', or Willie Williams' 'Armageddon Time', later covered by The Clash.
This new expanded edition features seminal tracks from the greatest Jamaican producers - Clement Dodd, Lee Perry, Winston Riley (Techniques) and many more.
The album is available as CD, heavyweight double vinyl (+download), plus digital.

Murmuration’ is the low hum made by vast, beautifully choreographed flocks of starlings as they simultaneously flap their wings and take to the sky. Some people say that the frequency of this unique, rumbling, oscillating sound can cure diseases...

One of the most exciting live bands in the UK, British Birds combine the garage-punk energy of Billy Childish, the wry English sophistication of XTC and the witty pop inventiveness of The Lovely Eggs. Like a murmurating flock of starlings, they create a unique sound, and might even be able to cure diseases.

Based in Chorley, Lancashire, British Birds are a resolutely DIY band. Bobby records and mixes all the music; Emma creates all the artwork. Their first two albums were self-released, selling hundreds of copies at gigs and at a few chosen record stores. British Birds didn’t wait for permission to take flight. They just got on with it. Their songs are sophisticated, hard-hitting, and very skilful. It may be DIY, but it’s big and it’s ambitious.

Sessions for Marc Riley and Gideon Coe have followed, along with tours supporting The Bug Club, BC Camplight and Lovely Eggs.

‘Murmurate, Oscillate’ kicks off with Lie Down With Dogs, Stand Up With Fleas, a rousing expression of exasperation at our passivity in the face of lame authority. British Birds are acute observers of the English political scene, shrouding their observations in humour and surrealism. Polka Dot Eyes is another piece of sharp social observation: it portrays Lancashire lads – friends from school – who join the Army and return home physically and mentally damaged. The song is simultaneously disturbing, funny and catchy as hell. From the fog of disinformation and doubt that surrounds us all in 2020s Britian, British Birds embrace the darkness, but with wit and verve – no slogans, no easy answers – and with an energy that helps us escape the mundanity of a declining island. This might all sound a bit bleak, but it’s not: every single one of the songs on this album has a chorus as big as a house.

There are personal songs too: Scary Movies is a poignant description of Bobby and Emma’s grandfather, who delighted in showing them horror films when they were kids – giving them sneak previews of the darkness they’d come to embrace as adults; Just Like Them is a celebration of introversion: it might not be fun, but it’s better than being an idiot. (Paradoxically, any other introverts who hear this song will feel impelled to join in in the chorus.) Blame Game and Thunder Claps examine the darkness inherent in relationships: there is always an impending storm, if you recognise the low hum of the imminent thunder. Once again: the choruses of these songs confound the melancholy sentiment.

You’ll get the same impression if you see British Birds live: Bobby’s ferocious guitar and dark lyrics are counterpointed with Emma’s sometimes haunting, sometimes playful vocal responses and insistent rhythms. You’ll be swept away by the energy of a band who don’t know the meaning of limits. And as the songs get darker and darker the smile on your face gets wider and wider.

The core members of British Birds are siblings Bobby and Emma Townson, working from their HQ-cum-nest in Chorley. Drums are by Dominic Lawson (apart from Michael Aindley on ‘Just Like Them’). Bass is by James Robinson.

British Birds will be embarking on a headline tour of the UK in early 2027.

2026 re-issue, 180g vinyl, remastered from the original tapes

Be With have raided the KPM archives to re-issue another of our favourites from the KPM 1000 series. They say: Hard Afro Pop featuring large percussive rhythm section and front line. We say: One of the best-loved of all the KPM LPs. Afro Rock was recorded at Morgan Studios by John Cameron and Alan Parker in London in 1973 as a collection of stripped-down African rhythms, virtuoso jazz instrumentation, fuzzed up wah wah guitars and spaced out library breaks. The percussion is effortlessly funky, and those flutes so melodic, it’s as if the LP was crafted with the beat lovers of the future firmly in mind. As Cameron himself described it in Unusual Sounds, this is “heavy duty drum-and-bass salsa music”. As with all of our KPM re-issues, the audio for The Road Forward comes from the original analogue tapes and has been remastered for vinyl by Be With regular Simon Francis. We’ve taken the same care with the sleeves, handing the reproduction duties over to Richard Robinson, the current custodian of KPM’s brand identity. And don’t worry! Those KPM stickers aren’t stuck directly on the sleeves!

Disco Collected celebrates the dance music which originally developed from R&B, soul, and funk from the late 60s and 70s and turned into a mighty subculture in discotheques, with Studio 54, Manhattan, New York as one of the most famous and extravagant discos all over the world. Disco used a steady four to the floor beat, string sections, horns which created a perfect setting for DJs who mixed their special 12 inches to an eager dance crowd.

Movies like Saturday Night Fever and Thank God It’s Friday contributed to disco’s mainstream popularity. Compiled on Disco Collected are some of the best, well-known and great disco hits by Rose Royce, Chic, Kool & The Gang, The Trammps, Thelma Houston, KC & The Sunshine Band and 16 more guaranteed floor fillers.

The 2LP Disco Collected is available as a limited edition on disco ball silver vinyl and includes an insert.

Over the last decade and a half, Rotation Sound System’s annual gathering in the Staffordshire countryside has become one of underground dance music culture’s true success stories – an intimate gathering of like-minded friends and partygoers, powered by a custom-built six-way sound system, with music provided by a carefully curated line-up of dusty-fingered diggers, selectors and hand-picked live performers.

At the heart of the collective’s unique and much-loved approach lies a dedication to finding and sharing lesser-known gems and audio obscurities – fantastic records whose charm and quality has long been overlooked.

Last year, the core members of the crew – founders Dean Meredith and Ben Shenton (renowned for their productions as Mind Fair), and Wrekin’ Havoc trio Rob J, Stuart Robinson and Rich Hall – offered a snapshot of their unique musical approach via debut compilation Everything You Are About To Hear Is True, Volume 1, in the process introducing a global audience to some of the countless unknown mid-tempo classics nestled in their collections.

Fresh from another sold out edition of their acclaimed micro-festival, they’re back with volume two, another must-have collection of slept-on classics, loved-up shufflers and wide-eyed Balearic beats, all of which have played a part in Rotation’s story over the last 13 years.

Appearing on gatefold double vinyl with extensive liner notes telling the stories behind the tracks, Everything You’re About To Hear Is True, Volume 2 is full to bursting with music that sounds mind-blowing on the crew’s high-end sound system.

For proof, check the analogue-rich intergalactic shuffle of Paul Atreides’ 2015 jam ‘Arrakis Walk’, the relaxed boogie-soul of Rocky Winters’ Chaz Jankel produced ‘Vicious Circle’, the easy-listening-jazz-rock bliss of Vincent Maclin’s ‘Should’ve Took a Chance’, the 80s soul squelch of ‘Ecstasy (Centurion Mix)’ by Endgames and the immersive British dub drift of Sigma’s ‘Remember (Dub Style)’.

Everywhere you look, you’ll find eye-opening and ear-pleasing delights. There’s Pinky’s lightly acid-flecked, breakbeat-fuelled, acid house-era street soul classic ‘I Wanna Be The One (Instrumental Groove)’, the 1992 new age downtempo seduction of Linda Myers (‘Shine On Me’), the Clavinet-and-synth sporting jazz-rock/space-rock fusion of Wolfhound (1984 gem ‘Another Moon Song’), the Gallic colour of Buzy’s ‘Keep Cool (Version Maxi)’ and the guitar solo-laden electrofunk explorations of mid-80s UK act Lifesighs (‘Get Serious’, here presented in its extended instrumental form).

This release is a homage to the Turbo label.

Turbo was a part of Joe Robinson and Sylvia Robinson’s All-Platinum Records set up in New Jersey which operated from 1967 to 1979. At one stage the fiercely independent and proudly black owned label threatened to become another Motown or Philadelphia International. That never happened, but the Robinson’s dream of worldwide success came later when Sylvia discovered Rap, recorded Rappers Delight by The Sugarhill Gang and Sugar Hill records was born.

Music historian Steve Guarnori describes All Platinum as "probably the most unusual record company there ever was. Dysfunctional, but at the same time wonderful."

The All-Platinum chaos extended to Turbo. But despite anarchy - some superb albums went straight from manufacture to be deleted and sold as cut-outs - sublime music was created. This 10" 6-track release collects together some of the most hallowed Turbo releases which between them have become cherished by collectors.

Brother to Brother "The Bottle" captures the label at its most astute. Gil Scott-Heron and Brian Jackson’s original version was an album only track on Strata-East so Turbo seized the opportunity to quickly make a worthy cover version and rush release it a single which enjoyed success.

"Ton Of Dynamite" by Frankie "Love Man" Crocker was Turbo’s debut release in 1968 (it actually sounds a later recording). At the time Frankie was a DJ on WWRL radio station in New York and the release was essentially a reward for his previous support of All-Platinum releases. The record (a b-side) is actually made Willie & The Mighty Magnificent who went on to re-record it as

"Funky 8 Corners". It took until 1975 for "Ton Of Dynamite" to get recognition when it became an anthem as the UK Northern Soul scene adopted it as part of the movement away from old skool 1960’s Soul. Whatever its’ provenance, "Ton Of Dynamite" is now revered by the Rare Soul and Funk communities.

The Optimistics "Man" from 1971 is another b side single. The group specialised in smooth harmony Soul but "Man" is a funkier affair which won support from Rare Soul aficionados and will cost you £600 plus if you are lucky enough to locate a copy of the hard to find 45.

Willie & West "Attica Massacre", also from 1971, is an even more elusive single. It is a powerful protest against the killing of 29 prisoners, many black, following a riot at a prison - Attica Correctional Facility in New York. The deaths and a subsequently discredited cover up caused outrage. John Lennon was amongst the first musicans to make a recording about the bloodbath, but the most emotional protest is this Willie & West track. Only 300 copies were manufactured of one of the most powerful civil rights recordings ever made. The vocal sounds like anti-War Edwin Starr at his most bristlingly aggressive.

Perhaps the strangeness of All-Platinum is best illustrated by the later success of Lonnie Youngblood "Sweet Sweet Tootie" which is essentially the backing track of "Attica Massacre" plus exquisite sax playing by Lonnie. Despite it selling 100,000 plus copies the label did not see this as a reason to reissue "Attica Massacre". Strange. Or as Marvin asked "What’s Going On"?

The New Sounds "Don’t Take Your Love From Me" was only issued by Turbo as an album track. Despite good music on it the LP was poorly (it at all)/ promoted and flopped. The superb "Don’t Take Your Love From Me" is a long time Northern Soul / X-Over favourite.

Larry Saunders mesmerising "On The Real Side" made no impact when released on Turbo in 1974 but was nevertheless issued in the UK by London Records. The Northern Soul discerning dancers instantly latched on to its combination of uplifting lyrics, heartfelt vocal and clomping beat and since then its’ appeal has extended across the whole of the Soul community. Without doubt an all time classic.

So six treasures from a label that despite frequently advocating cash out of chaos frequently conjured up awesome music.

ANORAX is grateful to have the opportunity to present this very special Soul selection.

Nina Wilson, better known as Ninajirachi, is an Australian electronic producer who released her debut album I Love My Computer is a concept record built on her connection with her PC, swiping between genres of EDM, tech-house, speed garage, dubstep, and hyperpop. Wilson builds on the legacy of early-2000s and 2010s Australian electronic artists like PNAU and Flume using technology as a medium, a motif, and a mirror for reflection.

Between remixing Princess Nokia, Deadmau5 & The Neptunes, releasing on Nina Las Vegas’ NLV Records and RL Grime’s Sable Valley, Ninajirachi has performed at Lollapalooza, EDC, Laneway, Listen Out, Splendour, Falls Festival, and more and toured with Mallrat, Charli XCX, Porter Robinson and Cashmere Cat.

Nina Wilson, better known as Ninajirachi, is an Australian electronic producer who released her debut album I Love My Computer is a concept record built on her connection with her PC, swiping between genres of EDM, tech-house, speed garage, dubstep, and hyperpop. Wilson builds on the legacy of early-2000s and 2010s Australian electronic artists like PNAU and Flume using technology as a medium, a motif, and a mirror for reflection.

Between remixing Princess Nokia, Deadmau5 & The Neptunes, releasing on Nina Las Vegas’ NLV Records and RL Grime’s Sable Valley, Ninajirachi has performed at Lollapalooza, EDC, Laneway, Listen Out, Splendour, Falls Festival, and more and toured with Mallrat, Charli XCX, Porter Robinson and Cashmere Cat.

Mike Ladd. Diejenigen, die ihn kennen, sprechen diesen Namen mit einer gewissen Ehrfurcht aus. Wenn du mir eine unvollkommene Analogie gestattest: Ladd ist der Terrence Malick des Underground-Hip-Hop - ein kompromissloser Autor, dessen frühe Werke sowohl unkonventionell als auch von der Kritik gefeiert waren, bevor er sich abrupt aus der Szene zurückzog, die er mit aufgebaut hatte, und nach Paris abhob, um nie wieder von sich hören zu lassen. Natürlich ist die Realität komplexer als die Legende. Mike Ladd hat nie aufgehört, Musik zu machen; im Laufe der Jahre ist er bei allerlei unerwarteten Kollaborationen aufgetaucht - wer könnte seinen mitreißenden Auftritt auf billy woods' ,Aethiopes" vergessen -, hat den Soundtrack zu einer Netflix-Serie beigesteuert und mit bildenden Künstlern an Orten wie dem Pantheon in Paris zusammengearbeitet. Dabei sind all die Bühnen, auf denen er als Teil verschiedener Tournee-Bands und Live-Acts für Furore sorgte, noch gar nicht mitgezählt. Dennoch liegt Ladds letztes Soloalbum mehr als zehn Jahre zurück, und sein Meisterwerk ,Welcome to the Afterfuture" erschien Anfang 2000. Wenn wir der Analogie folgen wollen, ist ,Nonechosen" Mike Ladds ,The Thin Red Line. Ein unerschütterlicher Beweis dafür, dass sich der Künstler weiterentwickelt und gewachsen ist, dabei aber dieselbe Gravitas bewahrt hat, die seinen Namen zu dem gemacht hat, was er ist. Hier sind wir nun, tief in der ,Afterfuture", und es ist, als hätte Ladd schon immer auf diese Zeit gewartet und auf diesen Moment hingearbeitet. ,Jetzt weißt du, warum ich auf meinem Posten geblieben bin", rappt er auf ,Nonechosen", überzeugt davon, dass sich seine Geduld ausgezahlt hat. ,Nonechosen" ist ein Soloalbum, aber Ladd wird dir als Erster sagen, dass er es nicht allein geschafft hat; er hat schon immer mit alten Freunden zusammengearbeitet. No Surrender und Tom Degeeter haben an jeweiligen Tracks mitgewirkt. Sobald Mike das Album mit seiner eigenen Produktion zu 95 % fertiggestellt hatte, gab er es an Preservation weiter, der das Projekt mit ein paar gut platzierten Feinschliff-Maßnahmen auf ein neues Niveau hob. Backwoodz Studioz fühlt sich geehrt, Teil von Ladds kometenhaftem Comeback zu sein, und freut sich darauf, diesen wegweisenden Künstler einer neuen Generation von Hip-Hop-Fans gebührend vorzustellen, wenn wir schon dabei sind.

Mike Ladd. Diejenigen, die ihn kennen, sprechen diesen Namen mit einer gewissen Ehrfurcht aus. Wenn du mir eine unvollkommene Analogie gestattest: Ladd ist der Terrence Malick des Underground-Hip-Hop - ein kompromissloser Autor, dessen frühe Werke sowohl unkonventionell als auch von der Kritik gefeiert waren, bevor er sich abrupt aus der Szene zurückzog, die er mit aufgebaut hatte, und nach Paris abhob, um nie wieder von sich hören zu lassen. Natürlich ist die Realität komplexer als die Legende. Mike Ladd hat nie aufgehört, Musik zu machen; im Laufe der Jahre ist er bei allerlei unerwarteten Kollaborationen aufgetaucht - wer könnte seinen mitreißenden Auftritt auf billy woods' ,Aethiopes" vergessen -, hat den Soundtrack zu einer Netflix-Serie beigesteuert und mit bildenden Künstlern an Orten wie dem Pantheon in Paris zusammengearbeitet. Dabei sind all die Bühnen, auf denen er als Teil verschiedener Tournee-Bands und Live-Acts für Furore sorgte, noch gar nicht mitgezählt. Dennoch liegt Ladds letztes Soloalbum mehr als zehn Jahre zurück, und sein Meisterwerk ,Welcome to the Afterfuture" erschien Anfang 2000. Wenn wir der Analogie folgen wollen, ist ,Nonechosen" Mike Ladds ,The Thin Red Line. Ein unerschütterlicher Beweis dafür, dass sich der Künstler weiterentwickelt und gewachsen ist, dabei aber dieselbe Gravitas bewahrt hat, die seinen Namen zu dem gemacht hat, was er ist. Hier sind wir nun, tief in der ,Afterfuture", und es ist, als hätte Ladd schon immer auf diese Zeit gewartet und auf diesen Moment hingearbeitet. ,Jetzt weißt du, warum ich auf meinem Posten geblieben bin", rappt er auf ,Nonechosen", überzeugt davon, dass sich seine Geduld ausgezahlt hat. ,Nonechosen" ist ein Soloalbum, aber Ladd wird dir als Erster sagen, dass er es nicht allein geschafft hat; er hat schon immer mit alten Freunden zusammengearbeitet. No Surrender und Tom Degeeter haben an jeweiligen Tracks mitgewirkt. Sobald Mike das Album mit seiner eigenen Produktion zu 95 % fertiggestellt hatte, gab er es an Preservation weiter, der das Projekt mit ein paar gut platzierten Feinschliff-Maßnahmen auf ein neues Niveau hob. Backwoodz Studioz fühlt sich geehrt, Teil von Ladds kometenhaftem Comeback zu sein, und freut sich darauf, diesen wegweisenden Künstler einer neuen Generation von Hip-Hop-Fans gebührend vorzustellen, wenn wir schon dabei sind.

LP,180g, 2027 REISSUE - REMASTERED FROM ORIGINAL TAPES, CAREFULLY REPRODUCED ORIGINAL ART

When Alan Parker recorded the killer library soul-funk LP The Voice of Soul with session vocalist Madeline Bell in 1976, some bright spark at Themes decided to also release all of the backing tracks as a separate, and equally innocuously title LP called The Sound of Soul. Thank goodness for bright sparks.
Released as a collection of unobtrusive musical backings in various rhythmic styles', the LP's original description dryly explains these tracks have been issued without melody and are therefore particularly suitable for use behind commentary. Female vocal versions of these tracks are issued on TIM 1021 The Voice Of Soul and it is possible to edit from vocal version to instrumental version or vica versa where commentary or scene changes occur'.Madeline Bell was backed by The Rhythm Section, who were for all intents and purposes the Themes International Music house band. So what we end up with here is entire album of instrumental work-outs by a band comprised of the formidable talents of Alan Hawkshaw on keyboards, Alan Parker on guitars, Barry Morgan on drums, Les Hurdle on bass guitar and Frank Ricotti on percussion.
Without Bell's vocals these backing tracks are given all the room they need to breathe. Each one more than stands up on its own.
The Sound of Soul is a real diggers' delight and, unsurprisingly, a must-have counterpart to The Voice of Soul.
As with all ten re-issues, the audio for The Sound of Soul comes from the original analogue tapes and has been remastered for vinyl by Be With regular Simon Francis. We've taken the same care with the sleeves, handing the reproduction duties over to Richard Robinson, the current custodian of KPM's brand identity.

,Rainbow Body" ist das Debütalbum einer außergewöhnlichen musikalischen Zusammenarbeit mit Taylor Goldsmith und Griff Goldsmith (Dawes), Rick Mitarotonda (Goose), Eric Krasno (Lettuce, Soulive), Ross James (Phil Lesh & The Terrapin Family Band) und Adam MacDougall (Chris Robinson Brotherhood, Circles Around the Sun), mit Gastauftritten von Oteil Burbridge (Dead & Company, The Allman Brothers Band) und Nicki Bluhm. Das in Island aufgenommene, selbstbetitelte Album verschmilzt nahtlos Psychedelic Rock, Americana, Soul, Folk und Improvisation zu einem Sound, der sich zugleich zeitlos und abenteuerlich anfühlt. Getragen von Taylor Goldsmiths ausdrucksstarkem Songwriting und bereichert durch die Chemie der versierten Musiker ist ,Rainbow Body" ein facettenreiches Debüt, das den Raum zwischen Americana und Alternative Rock ausfüllt.

2027 Repress

With Panorama, Frank Maston pays homage to the classic era of library records and Italian soundtracks of the 70s. A blissed-out, grooving collection of filmic cues, it continues the unique brilliance of Tulips and Darkland. Elegant and easy, subtle and stylish, breezy and beautiful; this is his Maston-piece. Commissioned by legendary label KPM, Panorama cements Maston as a master of modern classics and the most mesmeric of contemporary composers.

In early 2020, Be With suggested to Frank that he should make a KPM record. He wasn't aware that they were still putting out new library records - but he was super keen: "It was completely surreal and it still hasn't fully sank in that I have a record in that catalog, sitting alongside those incredible albums that were so influential to me."

Frank was visiting family in his hometown of LA in March 2020 when the world ground to a halt so the KPM project arrived at a fortuitous moment. Having fantasised about committing to a record with no distractions, with a proper budget, access to his gear and space to work in - to really dig in and try to write and arrange the best work he could possibly make - it was a real "be careful what you wish for" moment. But, as Frank explained, "it completely saved my year and sanity to have something to focus on and get excited about. It was my lifeline." He spent seven months on it, working almost every day.

Maston had already been making library-influenced music so when KPM outlined the criteria for the tracks it was exactly what he had been doing all along. He thought the best approach would be to make a follow-up to Tulips that had a parallel life as a KPM record. Enjoying complete creative freedom, “gave me the drive to power through and dig in deep. I'm not sure if I could have kept myself on such a rigorous recording schedule under my own steam, and I think the momentum I had writing and recording it is part of the strength of this record."

Maston’s sleek retro-groove instrumentals emulate the classic KPM “Greensleeve” reel-to-reel recordings that provided mood-setting music for mid-century cinema, television, and radio programs. Apparently in close conversation with the John Cameron-Keith Mansfield KPM pastoral masterclass Voices In Harmony, Maston's Panorama could be heard as that record's funky follow-up. Yes, it's *that good*. Another reference point from the hallowed library would be Francis Coppieter's wonderful Piano Viberations.

Opener "First Class" is a blissed-out groove, featuring the soothing vocals of Molly Lewis and a glistening harp over drums, a two-note bass motif (from Eli Ghersinu of L'Eclair) and an assemblage of guitars, synths, French horn and glowing vibraphone. Acid Lounge, anyone? The irresistibly funky "Easy Money" is a gorgeous cut led by more of Molly's vocals, pastoral flute and Rhodes, underpinned by drums and percussion, grooving bass, chilled guitars and synth strings. Kicking the tempo up, the percussive "Storm" is a vibin' filmic-fusion jam where psychedelic guitars (courtesy of Pedrum of Allah Las/Paint) organ, jazzy flute, Rhodes and vibes all compete for a place in the sun, over drums and walking bassline.

The heavenly "You Shouldn't Have" is a delicate, melancholic wonder; a dreamy instrumental where the melody is shared by a whistle, harpsichord and celeste, over a cyclical piano chord sequence and bass, synths, guitars, organ and distant French horn. The tempo rises again with the passionate, sticky "Fling", a summery, nostalgic groove with skipping drums and percussion, warm bass and electric guitar, yearning flute and synth strings. The brilliantly titled "Fool Moon" has that Voices In Harmony sound down pat. A romantic slow-mo dreamscape of Rhodes and harpsichord, piano, light drums and softly strummed acoustic guitar.

Side B opens with "Medusa", a hopeful, mellowed-out track with shuffling drums, feel-good flute, muted horns, glowing Rhodes and synth strings. The soft and gentle "Morning Paper" is an elegant way to start the day; a beatless blend of flute, guitar, percussion, ambient synths and vibes. The upbeat head-nod jam "Scenic" has that widescreen car-chase feel, uptempo drums and percussion, grooving bass, piano, synths and ambient electric guitar. "Adieu" is a smooth summer vibe, relaxing with brushed drums, Rhodes, flutes and horns. Molly Lewis's gorgeous vocals steal the show, alongside vibes, jamming organ and synth strings.

"Hydra" is another laid-back 70s-sounding retro cinema cue with light drums and percussion, walking bass, spacey synths, clavinet, glowing vibraphone, vintage organ and electric guitar. Closer "Jet Lag" is a laconic bow out; bass-driven drum machine soul, featuring hand percussion, Rhodes, vibes, synths and organ.

Multi-instrumentalist Frank played a bit of everything across Panorama. Yet, humble as ever, he believes the time, energy, and enthusiasm of all of the musicians invited to the sessions helped him realise his vision: "There were two Italian flautists who really understood what I was going for. Two french horn players, cor anglais, a vibraphonist and a flügel horn player. I've never involved this many people in my projects before, and yet the result is the most "me" record I've ever made."

Musically, a strong Italian theme runs through the record. Frank is fascinated by ancient Rome and both his parents are Italian (Maston was originally Mastrantonio before anglicisation). So, it felt natural to fully embrace these strands and tie everything together with the striking artwork. The Romans were influenced by Greek culture, emulating their art and architecture, which, in turn, influenced Renaissance era artists. Frank acknowledged this tradition when reflecting on his place in the lineage of library and soundtrack composers. He then asked his friend Mattea Perrotta, a painter and sculptor, for some sketches. What he received was exactly what he had in mind: "Especially the theater mask, which really captures the range of moods on the album". Frank arranged them as per the cover and it soon felt right: "I wanted to make a cover that was reminiscent of the classic KPM albums without making it too pastiche - so it has its own identity and looks at home alongside other library records, while still fitting in nicely in the KPM catalogue." The last step was for us to introduce Frank to Be With-KPM’s Rich Robinson, who helped put together the back and centre labels and align it all within the KPM standard.

Panorama is a perfect title for the album. With no opportunity to travel for tours or recording projects, Frank arranged postcards from his collection on his desk with beautiful views of the mediterranean coast, the Roman Colosseum and Cinque Terre. These also served as visual prompts: "That was part of the sonic concept - imagining myself driving down the mediterranean coast with this music on, with the top down." Additionally, the range of moods and vibes - "I tried to make each song very different from the previous one in terms of tempo and arrangement and feeling" - speaks to the idea of a Panorama of music and sounds and emotions. The last track was originally called Panorama, but KPM already had that title in their catalogue so it was changed to "Jet Lag", which, as Frank notes, "is perhaps even more fitting, since the trip is over".

LP,180g, 2027 REISSUE - REMASTERED FROM ORIGINAL TAPES, CAREFULLY REPRODUCED ORIGINAL ART

Veteran library musician Alan Parker recorded with session vocalist Madeline Bell for his Themes International Music label and the result was 1976's The Voice of Soul.
The sensational uptempo dancer 'That's What Friends Are For' is probably the most well known track on the record, and is a big hit on the rare groove scene, but it is by no means an anomaly. The Voice of Soul is essentially a perfect, sophisticated soul album with heaps of swagger and sass from beginning to end.
Its once generic-sounding title is now deservedly defnitive.
And the whole LP oozes sex. It oozes sex so much that it could have soundtracked a period porn flm. Indeed, parts of it did. 'Love Is All' and 'You've Got What It Takes' both featured on the infamously banned Pretty Peaches from the same year.
As is usual with library records, The Voice of Soul was hard to get even when it was frst released. It's next to impossible now. So here's your opportunity to own what is in our opinion one of the fnest rare soul LPs of the late 70s, and a superb example of Madeline Bell's superlative vocal talents.
But that's not the whole story. As well as pitching the record as 'a varied selection of modern female vocal features which are equally suitable for background or radio programme usage', the original release notes go on to explain that 'the corresponding backing tracks are issued on TIM 1022 The Sound of Soul. Therefore it is possible to edit from vocal to instrumental version and vica versa where commentary or scene changes occur.'
So yes, all of the backing tracks from The Voice of Soul were released as The Sound of Soul, and we couldn't re-issue one without re-issuing the other.
As with all ten re-issues, the audio for The Voice of Soul comes from the original analogue tapes and has been remastered for vinyl by Be With regular Simon Francis. We've taken the same care with the sleeves, handing the reproduction duties over to Richard Robinson, the current custodian of KPM's brand identity.

LP,180, 2018 REISSUE - REMASTERED FROM ORIGINAL TAPES, CAREFULLY REPRODUCED ORIGINAL ART

The two sides of 1973's Big Business / Wind of Change are mainly the work of thegreat Keith Mansfeld but there's a killer cameo each from Alan Hawkshaw and David Snell to help deliver a thematic suite, diverse in mood, applicable to dramatic and environmental situations'. A Be With favourite and truly one for the heads.
The Big Business of side A is all the work of Keith Mansfeld. It's heavy on the suspense and features the vital Hot Property', an insistent groove so good that Madlib sampled it to lace the ace Long Awaited' by Lootpack with Dilated Peoples.
Sleeping Giant 1' is a more feshed out version of the equally-dazzling Fatal Error', evoking the orchestral magic of David Axelrod. Indeed, it conjures images of Diamond D falling over himself in the early-to-mid 90s to loop its intoxicatingly
eerie soundscape. Complete with guitar flls that recall Paris, Texas-era Ry Cooder, you need this record for this piece alone.
The horn-and-fute-led "Tycoon" is a head-nodder and "Power Complex" has some fantastic percussion. Other highlights include the breezy glide of Whistle Stop Tour' and its sister groove Clean Air.'
Over on Side B is the more expansive Wind Of Change, which includes the David Snell and the Alan Hawkshaw contributions. But these ain't no fller. Snell's shufing International Flight' sounds like a smooth Dorothy Ashby track tossed from the heavens. Hawkshaw's Road And Rail' is about as luxurious and strung-
out as the great man gets and it might just be the highlight of this whole set.
Not to be outdone, if Mansfeld's Balance Of Power' doesn't make you feel like king of the world then you must be playing it wrong. Oh, and did we mention World In Action'!
As with all ten re-issues, the audio for Big Business / Wind of Change comes from the original analogue tapes and has been remastered for vinyl by Be With regularSimon Francis. We've taken the same care with the sleeves, handing the reproduction duties over to Richard Robinson, the current custodian of KPM's
brand identity.